Trade union strike: 150 arrested for rioting

NOIDA: After violent clashes broke out here on Wednesday, during the two-day nationwide trade union strike, the Gautam Budh Nagar police continue to make arrests. Even as normalcy returns, industrialists have been submitting complaints, leading to the arrests of 150 people against 338 FIRs. The accused have been sent to judicial custody.

Police said more arrests were made on Friday in connection with arson, loot, rioting, among other things, in the city. The Phase II police station has registered 285 FIRs on receiving additional complaints, while Sector 59 and Sector 20 police stations have registered another 53 FIRs. "Up to 150 people have been arrested so far. Investigation is on and we are questioning many more suspects," said a senior police officer.

Police said their several teams were scouring different areas to round up the people responsible for the violence. "Our teams have also recovered stolen goods from the miscreants," the officer said. "Laptops, computers, LCDs, rolls of hosiery material and other things have been found," he said.

Relatives of those under arrest complained of police high-handedness. They alleged that the cops had picked up many innocent people, and had also rounded up boys. "My brother-in-law, who lives in Gurgaon, had dropped by on February 21 around 7.30pm. He was picked up by police around 8.30pm on the same day," said a resident of Khodha village. "He was not involved in the clashes but police have apprehended him," he said.

Another resident of Sector 5 alleged that his 17-year-old son, who studies in Class X, was picked up by police a day after the clashes. Parent of another 17-year-old from Naya Gaon said her son had gone to play cricket and did not return home. The next day they found that he had been taken into police custody for the violent clashes on Wednesday.

Police said many people had been brought in for questioning as they had CCTV footage showing their involvement. Many students were also involved, they said. They said everyone's role in the violence would be examined in detail.